From Disney to Boston

Fun Times in Fantasyland at Disneyland Paris

When we left off a couple of weeks ago, we were in Adventureland at Disneyland Paris. Last week, I was at Walt Disney World for real. So, there wasn’t time to add a new Virtual Disney Trip. This week, we continue on into Fantasyland!

Again, I absolutely love the amount of space at Disneyland Paris. As I keep seeing all the space each land at Disneyland Paris has, I wonder how crowded it gets. Hmmm.

We begin by walking through Le Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant (or Sleeping Beauty’s Castle). This is without a doubt the coolest Sleeping Beauty’s Castle at any Disney theme park! Like the Disneyland California version, there is a walk through that tells the story of Sleeping Beauty. This walk through looks like it’s more spacious than the Disneyland California version. Love It!

How cool is the castle? They have a dragon below it! La Tanière du Dragon is what this attraction is called. It’s way cool!

The first attraction past Sleeping Beauty’s Castle is Blanche-Neige et les Sept Nains (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs). This attraction is pretty much what you’ll find at Disneyland California on the attraction with the English version of the name. It’s a nice little dark ride.

Next up is Les Voyages de Pinocchio. It’s kind of interesting to me that the Snow White attraction and Pinocchio attraction are pretty much in the same places they are at Disneyland California. It is the same attraction with the same name at Disneyland California. Although, you can see that the queue line is much larger than its California twin.

Like the other Magic Kingdom type of Disney theme park, this Fantasyland has a Carousel. At Disneyland Paris, it’s the Le Carrousel de Lancelot. There’s not a whole lot to write about with this attraction. However, I do like how decorative the horses are on this carousel.

Another familiar attraction is Dumbo the Flying Elephant. It may not be the dueling Dumbos of the Magic Kingdom. However, clearly this is a staple of Fantasyland.

One of my favorite Fantasyland attractions is Peter Pan’s Flight! If you like this attraction at the Magic Kingdom and Disneyland California, you’ll be happy to know that Disneyland Paris has it as well. The ride itself is the same as you’ll find at the North America Disney parks.

Here’s something different! Alice’s Curious Labyrinth is a walk through attraction that looks like it would be pretty fun. There are lots of places to get fun photos. For those of us who love taking photos (and you know I do), this looks like a must do attraction.

The logical next attraction is the Mad Hatter’s Tea Cups. I love that it’s positioned right next to Alice’s Curious Labyrinth! If you’ve done the Tea Cups at another Disney theme park, there’s not much different. This attraction does have a roof over it like they do at the Magic Kingdom. However, again, if you’ve done this at another park, there’s not anything different to report.

Casey Jr. – Le Petit Train du Cirque is another attraction that we have out here at Disneyland California that is not in the Magic Kingdom. After watching the video, it seems like this attraction is a little faster than the California twin. Maybe I’m wrong. However, it’s still not really a thrill ride. I just thought it worthy of pointing out that it looks faster. This looks like it’s a pretty fun ride!

While the Storybook Canals at Disneyland California are a fun little attraction, it’s not a must do kind of attraction. Le Pays des Contes de Fées is the same concept of the Storybook Canals. However, it’s a little different. First off, there is no captain of the boat you are on and no narration. As you go from storybook land to storybook land, there are some that have music from the movie depicted and others that don’t. I miss the whale they have at Disneyland California. However, I love that you go through the cave of wonders from Aladdin! They also play the Main Street Electrical Parade theme when you go by a scene from the Wizard of Oz. Very interesting differences.

I thought I’d throw in a meet n greet with Anna and Elsa at the Princess Pavilion just for fun. Who knew they could speak French?

It’s a Small World is slightly different at each theme park apparently. I love that the Hollywood sign is in this version. Much like the Magic Kingdom, there are no Disney characters in the ride. In spite of the small differences, this version has the same basic concept. You’ll hear “It’s a Small World” sung in different languages throughout the ride with Mary Blair-esque animatronics. Check out the video to see the differences.

Check this out! They even have a Christmas version of It’s Small World! It’s not nearly as elaborate as it’s California twin. They have the same music track as the California version. Check it out if you’re needing some Christmas magic!

As a Disneyland California regular, I find that the Fantasyland of Disneyland Paris is pretty familiar as I think they have all the same attractions and a couple different ones. Next Friday, we’ll explore the last of the lands at Disneyland Paris…Discoveryland. I hope you enjoyed this trip to Fantasyland. Have a magical weekend everyone!

Welcome to Why I runDisney

I am a 45 year old run/blogger, Disney fan, husband, and father of an amazing toddler from the Los Angeles area who is on a journey from runDisney races to trying to qualify for the Boston Marathon. Thanks for stopping by!